Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester had the opportunity to speak with the pope during his historic trip to America.

During the pope’s first visit he made stops in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Wester said it was thrilling to meet Pope Francis in the nation’s capital.

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“It was a confluence of all these feelings and emotions,” Wester said.

It wasn’t his first time speaking to the Holy Father, but Wester said the meeting left a huge impression. One of his biggest messages was how to help the poor, which is something Wester said he’s been thinking a lot about.

“We know there are a lot of poor people in the world - a lot of people who have needs, so the Pope I think, is saying, 'Look, we’ve got to do something to help them,'" Wester said.

Wester said the issue is close to his heart, but tough to master.

“(We) are doing great things for the poor already,” Wester said. “Can we build on what we already are doing and can we do even more?"

Wester said figuring out how to do more will be his biggest priority.

“My goal is to really work together in this community to see what we can do to help more people," he said.

He hopes to follow in the pope’s footsteps to help those who need it most.